From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlicklick1 /lɪk/ ●●● S3 verb 1 tongue [transitive]HBEATWET to move your tongue across the surface of something in order to eat it, wet it, clean it etc The dog jumped up and licked her face.lick something ↔ up A cat licked up the drops spilt on the floor.lick something off something He licked the drops off his upper lip.2 sport [transitive] informalBEAT/DEFEAT to defeat an opponent I bet we could lick the best teams in Georgia.3 flames/waves [intransitive, transitive] literaryTOUCH if flames or waves lick something, they touch it again and again with quick movementslick at/against Soon the flames were licking at the curtains.4 → have (got) something licked5 → lick your lips6 → lick your wounds7 → lick somebody’s boots → knock/lick somebody/something into shape at shape1(3)→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
lick• We thought we had it licked, but it turns out to be stronger than we are.• Manley has been unable to lick his drinking problem• In moments, they were snuffling at his thighs, jumping up with gleeful whines to lick his face.• Paul put down the chicken and licked his fingers.• He licks his lips nervously, but he doesn't move.• The sun had set and dusk, like some nocturnal beast, had crept out of hiding and was stealthily licking its paws.• He paws at me, licks me, nuzzles me and I talk back.• She had barely licked the envelope before she had her first pains.• Nina licked the melted chocolate off her fingers.• The children sat licking their ice creams.• You could not lick them, and you could not get yours licked.lick at/against• Parker licked at it and stuck on a bit of brown paper.• Deep blue lagoon waters lick at its beaches.• I walked down by the water where the sand was packed flat and firm, waves licking at my ankles.• She licks at my toes and fingertips, sucking at them until my blood rushes to greet her touch.• He looked at the fire, watched the thin, yellow flames licking at the bars.• Not till the day you're starving, Cat, and begin to lick at the corpse.• Flames licked at the top story of the eight-floor building.• The flames were licking at the window.• Yes, they agreed, smoke and flames licking at their faces as they punched their dough, it was hot.licklick2 noun 1 [countable usually singular]HBEATWET when you move your tongue across the surface of something Can I have a lick of your ice cream?2 → a lick of paint/colour etc3 → not a lick of something4 [countable] informal part of a song played on a guitar a bluesy guitar lick5 → at a great/fair lick6 → give something a lick and a promise7 [countable] informalHIT an act of hitting someoneExamples from the Corpus
lick• He cringed as one of the girls came up to the car and gave Donna a lick of her cone.• Can I have a lick of your ice cream cone?• A lick of colour pulsed out of the engine, dissolved, came again and grew strong.• Ellis landed a few licks early in the third round.• When I was 12, most of my licks were copped from somebody else.• Big Brother chug and flow to good effect and sling some quality licks.• They meet at salt licks and live on leaves and fruit.• Having settled her differences, she gave my hand a tentative lick.Origin lick1 Old English liccian 